Israel's national service program, a volunteer program that acts as an alternative to mandatory military service, has suspended the eligibility of controversial rights group B'Tselem to use its volunteers, citing a B'Tselem campaign that urged Israeli soldiers to refuse orders.
Earlier this month, the leftist human rights group drew strong condemnation after running newspaper ads calling on Israeli soldiers to disobey orders to shoot "unarmed demonstrators" in the Gaza Strip.
The national civic service program places volunteers in various organizations and institutions as a way of making a meaningful contribution to society, the way a comparable military service would. Until now, volunteers were free to perform their national service with B'Tselem, but the head of the national service program wishes to revoke that right in light of the controversial campaign.
National Civic Service Authority Director General Sar Shalom Jerbi summoned B'Tselem Director Hagai Elad for a meeting recently, voicing his criticism of the campaign.
"The B'Tselem organization is promoting a campaign calling on IDF soldiers to refuse commands relating to the Gaza border protests," Jerbi wrote in a letter. "Whoever incites or persuades a person serving in the armed forces not to listen to a legal order shall be incarcerated for a period of one year ... [and] if the crime was committed during a period in military activities by or against Israel are performed, shall be incarcerated for a period of seven years."
The letter said further that "the National Civic Service Authority is not the body responsible for law enforcement in Israel, but as a government body in charge of civic and national service, the Authority is obligated to investigate all complaints submitted to it regarding illegal activities performed by those authorized as National Service agencies, and to use its legal authority to cancel the authorization of agencies which do not abide by the legal rules."
B'Tselem did not respond to Jerbi's summons, prompting him to pen another letter, in which he wrote that "since you refused to come and make your voice heard, I hereby inform you that [your] 'operating organization' certification has been immediately suspended."
Last month, Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Uri Ariel, who oversees the national service program, called for B'Tselem to be barred from the service, as it stood in "clear violation of the penal code that forbids calls to insubordination."
"It is unthinkable for an organization that calls for breaking the law and incites rebellion and sedition against the IDF to enjoy assistance from the state," Ariel said.
Jerbi explained that "this isn't an issue of Right or Left – it's permitted to express criticism and an alternative position – but the basis for conduct is to uphold the law."
